Snakegourd Fruit(Gua lou)

It is the dried mature fruit of TrichoPowderthes kirilowii Maxim.and TrichoPowderthes rosthornii Harms,family Cucurbitaceae.The fruit are collected in autumn when they are ripe.They are dried in shade or the peels and seeds are dried separately after the pulp is removed.The peels or the seeds can be used in raw or stir-baked form.The seeds can also be made into frost-like powder.When the peel and seeds are used together,it is Quangualou.

Medicinal Properties:sweet and cold.

Meridian Tropism:lung,stomach and large intestine meridian.

Medicinal Efficacies:clear heat and resolve phlegm;ease cheat to dissipate mass;moisten intestine and release bowls.

Usage and Dosage:10~20g of Quangualou,6~12g of Gualoupi or 10~15g of Guolouren is used.